Pet peeves…nobody can be…unless carefully constructed by the jagged edges of a pet peeve. No matter how hard you try to clone your greatness, the shell might look the same but each experience endured during the journey turns the sudden dot on the map into a totally different shape.
Dictionary.com
pet peeve
–noun
a particular and often continual annoyance; personal bugbear: This train service is one of my pet peeves.
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Origin:
1915–20, Americanism
My worst pet peeve is a fast food restaurant that makes you pull forward to wait for a grilled chicken sandwich. I called the 800 number on the take out window—the company blatantly said, “It should never happen with us, that’s what makes us different from the clown.”
It’s happened not once but three times, the manager at a different location calmly came to the window this past Saturday and boldly said, “I’m not perfect.”
I don’t blame him…the disappointment is with me for accepting poor customer service. There’s no reason to get angry! Peacefully I politely smiled and asked for my money back.
In the book How to Sell the Invisible, Harry Beckwith writes about how easily we’re swayed as a nation to settle for second and twenty-fifth best. Yet, if our favorite sports team doesn’t pull off a victory somebody calls the cops to help quell the violence. If you purchase a shirt with a hole near the bottom that’s ok because it’s extremely easy to just tuck it in. I can’t tell you how many bad tools I own because I’m too lazy to take the junk back.
Some would say a continuation of bad customer service is the fault of the extremely higher ups at the massively large chain.
Why did we have to go there?
Pet peeve number two…even if upper management is the true bad apple in the bunch, it’s the individuals who constantly place blame on bad leadership without doing anything to help correct their level of performance that spoils the process of performance.
In 2007, Harris Poll research junkies asked American consumers whom do they trust the most. Topping the list were small business managers, followed by the military, medical institutions, the U.S. Supreme Court, public schools, the White House, television news then Wall Street.
James Parker is the front man of Southwest Airlines and whole heartedly believes in the idea that personal interaction with customers is mandatory. He has no problem picking up the trash a customer has dropped on his presentation to the world. His winning attitude is shared with everyone on the team from the luggage handlers to the ticket counter and interestingly enough it earned Southwest a weekly television show that gained them ample amounts of free advertising.
Not every company is or can be like Southwest. Parker openly shares his greatest policy, “Stop dictating a bunch of rules, policies and regulations to your employees. Encourage each person to use their own energy and intelligence to make decisions that help them achieve their mission. Mistakes will be made but accept them.”
Pet peeve number three…earmarking someone whose been tossed to the dogs. Craigs List has been jabbed in the gut with more bad luck then 100 separate businesses combined and they’re still pushing forward as one of the worlds most successful person to person sharing websites.
CEO James Buckner puts faith in his primary goal of making every event a positive difference without trying to maximize their financial performance.”
What you never hear about Craigs List is how brilliant they treat their employees—it’s company policy to create happiness which generates the flow of great things to happen. In James Buckner’s world it’s ok to be quirky, goofy and fun while enjoying flexible hours.
The CEO of Costco James Sinegal answers his personal phone. When a customer decides to stop in and visit with upper management, he makes the walk down the four flights of steps and spends time with the situation.
So what is the true story behind the fast food restaurant that can’t seem to get a grilled chicken sandwich out to their always on the go customer without forcing them to pull forward and waste time waiting? After all, wasn’t it computers and fast food that sped up this nation? While one continues to crash the other can’t seem to keep up. We allow this to happen because the rest of the world has convinced us that being fourth on the list is ok as long as the French fries are steaming.
Did I tell you about the grocery store chain that doesn’t have a bike rack to lock my bike to? How are we supposed to live a green life and style if Big Business isn’t playing along? What happens when the car industry finally punts the ball in the right direction and electric cars become our new way of driving…how long will it take the grocery store chain to give us electricity to make it back home? I guess it doesn’t matter, Spaghetti O’s were buy two can’s get one free.
arroecollins@clearchannel.com
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